Aspirants who wish to lend the country’s top job — that
of President — will have to be nominated
by at least 1 000 registered voters from the country’s 10 provinces and fork
out more than the current $1 000 nomination fee.
This comes as Government moves to align local nomination
processes with regional and international best practices, it has been learnt.
The overhaul is also expected to winnow out “chancers”. Last
year, 23 candidates successfully registered for the Presidential election, the
largest number since 1980.
However, the large pool of candidates created a logistical
nightmare for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) in designing the ballot
paper.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi
Ziyambi told The Sunday Mail that the new regulations will ensure that only
serious candidates participate.
“We are also looking at provisions that deal with
nomination fees for Presidential candidates and that of people who nominate the
President with a view of increasing them from 100 to maybe 1 000,” said
Minister Ziyambi.
“We want to revise the fees to make sure that they are
reasonable.
“As you saw, (in) the last election we had the largest pool
of candidates in the history of the country. While we want to encourage
participation, we also want to make sure that only serious candidates find
their names on the ballot.”
Current regulations require candidates seeking to contest
Presidential, Parliamentary and local council polls to submit their candidacy
to one of several specially convened nomination courts across the country.
To register successfully, Presidential candidates pay a fee
of $1 000 and must be nominated by at least 100 registered voters from across
the country’s 10 provinces.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) chairperson Mr
Andrew Makoni said the changes will eliminate chancers from participating.
“Increasing the number of signatures required to register
one as a candidate is meant to avoid a situation where we have people trying
their luck at a cost to the elections management body,” said Mr Makoni.
“Organising an election is a very expensive exercise, so if
we have a situation where someone just gathers a 100 signatures and a small
amount of money, but have no following at all, becomes a very huge cost to the
elections management body.
“So I think the idea is to ensure that only serious
candidates with constituencies behind them are able to participate and do away
with chancers.”
Last year President Mnangagwa out-polled 22 candidates that
include Nelson Chamisa (MDC-Alliance), Thokozani Khupe (MDC-T), Nkosana Moyo
(Alliance for People’s Agenda), Joice Mujuru (People’s Rainbow Coalition),
Elton Mangoma (Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe), and Ambrose Mutinhiri (National
Patriotic Front).
Also on the Presidential ballot were Lovemore Madhuku
(National Constitutional Assembly), Daniel Shumba (United Democratic Alliance),
Noah Ngoni Manyika (Build Alliance Zimbabwe), Joshua Makamba Busha (FreeZim
Congress), Johannes Tonderai Chiguvare (People’s Progressive Party), Melba
Dzapasi (Hashgtag 1980 Freedom Movement Zimbabwe), Peter Mapfumo Gava (United
Democratic Front), Kwanele Hlabangana (Republicans Party of Zimbabwe), Divine
Mhambi Hove (National Alliance of Patriotic Democratic Republicans), Blessing
Kasiyamhuru (Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity), Violet Mariyacha (United
Democratic Movement), Taurai Bryn Mteki (Independent), William Taonezvi Mugadza
(Bethel Christian Party), Tendai Peter Munyandiri (New Patriotic Front), Harry
Peter Wilson (Democratic Opposition Party). Sunday Mail
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